Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-01-25
fORTY-NINTH CONGRESS,
Second Session.
sen ATE.

cruising vessel of war of 20 knots speed
Referred to the committee on naval affairs.
The credentials of Cushman K. Davis, sen.
ator-elect from Minnesota, were presented
and placed on file.
The Senate bill concerning postoffices of
third class was, on motion of Mr.. Wilson of
Iowa, taken from the calendar and passed.
AT l % the Senate, on motion OF Mr.. Ed
munds, proceeded to the consideration of the
Senate bill to authorize the President Of the
| United States to protect and defend the rights
Of American fishing vessels in certain cases.
Mr.. FRYE suggested to MIR. Edmunds that
the words also if he think proper should
be omitted before the words authorizing the
President to deny entry of fi.h from Canada,
because that language seemed to suggest that
this prohibition would be the last resort of
the President, while in his (Frye's) iudg
ment il would be the first resort and prob
ably the only one under the ppesent circum-
stances.
Mr.. Edmunds consented to having the
words struck out and they were stricken out
Mr.. Hoar suggested the insertion of the
words ''or unjustly vexed or harrassed theaein
by the authorities thereof" He thought the
bill would be much safer if it contained that
general phraseology
Mr.. Ingalls, thought these fishing difficult
ties must be settled, either by negotiation or
war. This measure was distinctly one of re-
taIiation. 1t was eye for an eye. tooth
for tooth, fish for fish, an insult for an
insult and wrong for a wrong. He thought
it important before the Senate was called
upon to vote that the committee on foreign
relations should advise the Senate whether
this measure was intended to be pacific or
hostile whether it was in effect an invitation
to negotiate or practically declaration of
war. There was no use in Disgusting the
proposition. There was feeling of irrita-
ton (the real party interest being Great
Britain and not Canadal which was at any
moment, if the present attitude was contin-
ued, liable to lead to discomfort, which mis- ght
ripen into evaporation, and this into open
hostility. 1t was therefore of very great i'm
portance that at the outset the Senate should
understand whether the bill was intended as
a pacific or as hostile measure. The con-
duct of the Dominion and Great Britain was
sufficient to justify and warrant declaration
of war on the part of the United States. 1t
was a violation not only of treaty rights but
it showed purpose on the part of the gov
eminent of Canada and of her ma esty's gov.
ernment to harrass and annov and destroy
American fishing interests simply for the
purpose either of private gain or of some
public advantage.
Mr. Frye said Mr.. Ingalls, seemed to forget
that Canada was playing the same role now
which she had played twice before. She
PLAYED it but for one purpose, and that was to
secure negotiations for reciprocal treaties,
and those reciprocal treaties turned out to
the disadvantage of the United States and to
the advantage of Canada. If the President
were tomorrow to take advantage Of this bill,
which would authorize him to close our perts
against Canadian fish, he believed that it
would end all the trouble and Canada would
stop her outrages.
Mr.. FRYE then proceeded to enumerate
some of the ri cent outrages, and dwelt espec-
ially upon the case of the American vessel
which brought into Canadian port II ship
wrecked Canadian sailors and ha then been
refused the right to purchase a barrel of flour
| to keep the crew from starvation. He de-
| clared that the annals or history, even OF the
| Fiji Islands, might be searched without find
! ing a case so brutal and inhuman. Every
| one of the cases he had referred to was In
| violation of the spirit, and four ont of five of
them was in violation of the letter, of the
treaty of 1918. Every one of them was in
violation of the rules of good neighborhood,
of the civilization of the day, and of the un-
derstanding of all civilized nations as to the
rights of foreign ships in their ports What
| the committee on foreign relations sought
was that the President should be empowered
to close our ports against any fishermen or
all fishermen, any merchant vessel or all
merchant vessels. The Queen Of Great
Britain had today power to close her ports
against any of the products of the world if
she saw fit He saw no objection to entrust-
ing that power to the President. He believed
that if the President could only take advan-
tage of this b II and issue his proclamation
that no fish. fresh or salted, canned or
smoked, the product of Canadian fisheries,
shall be landed in any port of the United
States, no other violation by this British
colony would be heard Of But il
these outrages were to continue and were to
result in reciprocity as had been the case be
fore that treaty would again be abrogated
and outrages would be again renewed. The
bill on the same subject in the House of Rep
resentatives went farther than this bill. II
gave the President authority to proclaim alb
solute non-interc0urse. tie didn't believe
the House committee on foreign affairs would
reported a bill without knowing whether OF
not the administration was in sympathy with
it The senator from Maryland (Gorman)
introduced a resolution on the same subecr
some time ago and that senator was known
to be a friend of the administration, The
secretary of the treasury Gone of the bright
est men in the administrator had lately
sent communication to the Senate review
ing the conduct of Canada in the matter and
declared it to be "simply brutal" The sec.
retary of state had used diplomatic language
on the subject, but even he had said over and
over again that the acts of the Canadian
authorities were outrages and that the United
States would demand restitution
Mr.. Frye added that the American mln-
lister to England (Phelps) had made an un
exceptionable clear and complete and (tc
him) entirely satisfactory statement of the
whole case This law, he said, had power
in it. He believed the President had a,
heart the hcror and dignity of the great re.
public over which he presided. He believed
the President was in favor of protecting the
rights of every American citizen; aye, more
he believed he was an honest man and if this
law passed the power which would be put in
his hands would be used for the protection
of American rights.
The discussion was continued at grea
length by Messrs. Ingalls,, Hoar and Ed
munds.
Messr.. Morgan and Evarts argued in sup
port of the bill.
Mr.. Hale declared himself earnestly ir
favor of the bill. Its provisions were MOI
harsh but moderate, not rash but we'll con
sidered and he believed that if these provis
ions were enacted into the law and carried
out by the Executive, it would be efficacious
The situation for years past has been simply
| ,n.oIarshlo The a0DresaiOns on American